This invention relates generally to hand grip attachments for sporting equipment having handles or shafts with hand grips thereon and more particularly to hand grips for attachment to hand-operated sporting equipment members in which the hand grip attachment has mechanical means for adjusting the firmness and feel of such hand-operated members and may be affixed as original equipment by the manufacturer of such sporting equipment or may serve as a repair or replacement member by the owner or user of such hand-operated member.
In sporting goods and equipment which are hand operated, such as the racquets used in tennis, racket ball and squash or golf clubs, the handles or shafts often have improved hand grips applied for various reasons, such as reducing the shock generated during impact and use of these sporting goods or equipment and for improving the gripping quality for such handles or shafts.
The hand grip of the present invention provides a relatively simple mechanical means for adjusting the firmness and feel for such handles, and although the embodiments are illustrated with respect to improving the hand grip end for golf club shafts, those skilled in the art will recognize that this is only by way of illustration and that the present invention is also applicable to handles and shafts for other types of sporting goods and equipment such as racquets, baseball bats, or even tools such as hammers, without departing from the scope of the present invention. These advantages and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides a hand grip attachment for a handle-operated member having a generally elongated cylindrical member with an exterior surface, an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and opening at opposite ends of the cylindrical member to enable the cylindrical member to be mounted about the handle end of the handle-operated member, said cylindrical member has a wall between the exterior surface and the interior surface having a predetermined thickness, at least one bore formed in the wall of the cylindrical member, and at least one filler means mounted in each said at least one bore for adjusting the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is circular in cross-section having an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space to enable the handle attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, said exterior surface and interior surface defining a wall on said cylindrical member of predetermined thickness, a plurality of longitudinally extending bores in said wall, and a sized and shaped rod or filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each of said plurality of bores to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is circular in cross-section, having an upper end, a lower end, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and open at the upper end and lower end of the cylindrical member to enable the hand grip attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, a wall formed on said cylindrical member between said exterior surface and interior surface of predetermined thickness, a plurality of longitudinally extending bores in said wall, and a sized and shaped filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each of said plurality of bores to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is circular in cross-section, having an upper end, a lower end, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and open at the upper end and lower end of the cylindrical member to enable the hand grip attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, a wall formed on said cylindrical member between said exterior surface and interior surface of predetermined thickness, a plurality of longitudinally extending bores in said wall, a sized and shaped rod or filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each of said plurality of bores to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position, and a cap member removably mounted in said opening formed at the upper end of the cylindrical member the hold the rod members in assembled position and to enable the rod members to be removed and replaced for adjusting the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is oval in cross-section, having an upper end, a lower end, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and open at the upper end and lower end of the cylindrical member to enable the hand grip attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, a shaped wall of predetermined thickness formed on said cylindrical member offset from said inner surface, at least one bore in said wall, and a filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each said at least one bore to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is oval in cross-section having, an upper end, a lower end, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and open at the upper end and lower end of the cylindrical member to enable the hand grip attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, a shaped wall of predetermined thickness formed on said cylindrical member offset from said interior surface, a plurality of elongated bores in said wall, and a shaped and sized filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each of said plurality of elongated bores to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment having a generally cylindrical member which is oval in cross-section, having an upper end, a lower end, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end therethrough and open at the upper end and lower end of the cylindrical member to enable the handle attachment to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, a shaped wall of predetermined thickness formed on said cylindrical member offset from said interior surface, at least one bore in said wall, a filler member made of a predetermined material removably mounted in each said at least one bore to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position, and an end cap removably connected in the upper open end of the cylindrical member to hold each filler member in assembled position and to enable each filler member to be removed and replaced as may be required to adjust the firmness and feel of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a hand grip attachment for the handle end of sporting equipment, having a generally elongated shaped member with an exterior surface, an interior surface defining a handle receiving space extending end to end through and opening at opposite ends of the cylindrical member to enable the cylindrical member to be mounted about the handle end of the sporting equipment, and the exterior surface of the cylindrical member having spaced annular ridges and alternately spaced circumferential projections therebetween to provide better hand engagement of the hand grip attachment in assembled position.